On 15 April, Cambridge 2030, in partnership with Cambridge Ahead, hosted the Power of Purpose and Partnership event, bringing together individuals and organisations committed to facilitating positive change to address inequalities in Cambridgeshire. Held at Jagex HQ and organised pro bono by Conscious Communications, the evening was attended by representatives from public, private, voluntary and community sectors from across the region.
Julie Spence OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire and Ambassador for Cambridge 2030, opened the evening by reminding delegates that Cambridge is one of the UK’s most unaffordable cities to live in, where food insecurity and homelessness are increasing significantly and one in every six children lives in poverty.
Attendees then heard from representatives from Greater Cambridge Impact Fund, Cambridge Ahead, Abbey People, Cambridge City Foodbank and Cambridge University Press & Assessment followed by a panel discussion including all speakers joined by representatives from the Edge Café and It Takes A City.
Sara Allen, CEO of Greater Cambridge Impact Fund, shared the ambition and strategic priorities for the Fund to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children and young people. Dan Thorp, CEO of Cambridge Ahead and Nicky Shepard, CEO of Abbey People, provided an update on the Focus on Abbey project and the successes of taking a place-based approach to making a positive difference, through empowered collective community action. Steve Clay, CEO of Cambridge City Foodbank (CCFB), offered insight on the challenging rise in demand for emergency foodbank provision, and the vision of CCFB to create a social supermarket model to better support people facing chronic food poverty. Heidi Mulvey, Head of Community Engagement at major employer Cambridge University Press & Assessment (CUPA), offered inspiration through a case study about CUPA’s work experience and mentorship programs, sharing the “win win” benefits experienced by both the organisation and the students through an extensive work experience programme with local schools.
Julie Spence OBE said: “The wealth gap in our city is stark: pre-pandemic, the top 6% earned a fifth of total income, while the bottom fifth earned just 2%. Poverty is concentrated in the northern and eastern areas, with a 10-year gap in life expectancy between the neighbourhoods on our doorsteps. By uniting and taking purposeful action, alongside Cambridge Ahead and major local stakeholders, we aim to make meaningful strides in addressing inequality. Our partnership includes initiatives like the Digital Drive campaign with the Cambridge Youth Panel, recycling and refurbishing donated laptops and tablets for disadvantaged youth, ensuring they are not held back in their education due to a lack of access to technology.”
To learn more about Cambridge 2030 and support its ongoing projects, visit: https://cambridge2030.org/
